By Shelby Siegfried
for the Register
Every two minutes, another child in the United States enters the foster care system.
In Nebraska alone, more than 6,000 children are currently navigating this challenging path. Children and teens come into foster care at all ages and at all hours of the day and night, usually with only the clothes on their back or a trash bag for their belongings.
Corbyn Jordan, a sixth-grade student at St. Patrick School in McCook, is on a mission to change that harsh reality and make the first night in a foster home a little bit easier for everyone with “comfort bags” for foster children. The comfort bags are backpacks filled with essential items including pajamas, hygiene necessities, books, blankets, and comfort items like toys, coloring books, and diaries. The contents of the comfort bags are curated by Corbyn and her family, to make a tough situation a little better.
Corbyn’s endeavor began two years ago when she and her family started assembling comfort bags for children in foster care. They initially managed to create 12 bags, but Corbyn’s vision expanded after being inspired by a stewardship class at school. With her family’s support, Corbyn set a goal to make 24 bags this time around. The family’s efforts were met with an overwhelming response from the community, with people generously contributing items from an Amazon wishlist shared on social media with details about Corbyn’s plan.
“We were surprised when delivery trucks brought 5-10 boxes a day for an entire week of things that people purchased to donate,” Corbyn said. “We couldn’t believe the generosity of people who wanted to help.”
This outpouring of support enabled Corbyn and her family to assemble a total of 67 comfort bags, which were donated to the McCook and North Platte Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“The staff at HHS were surprised that one girl could do so much, and they were excited and grateful to receive the bags,” said Corbyn’s mom, Bryn. “These bags not only give the child a sense of belonging, having something of their own, they also preserve their dignity. This project is truly a testament to Corbyn’s heart and her great love for everyone. Foster care has touched our family so deeply, and it’s amazing to see how it continues to our children.”
It was no surprise to Corbyn’s parents, Clay and Bryn Jordan, when their daughter eagerly asked to take on the task of making comfort bags for foster children. The Jordans had three children of their own when they began discerning becoming foster parents. They completed the certification process in early 2020 and began opening their hearts and home to foster children.
“Faith, prayer, and trust in God were definitely a huge part of being a foster home,” Bryn said. “Before we ever started, we really asked God if this was right for our family. After becoming certified, every phone call we received about a child, we prayed about it.”
Every child came from a different situation, some from difficult home lives, some from other foster homes. Some stayed a couple of nights, others longer, but most arrived at their home with only the clothes on their back, a reality that their daughter, Corbyn, noticed and sought to change.
“Most of the kids didn’t have anything of their own,” Corbyn said. “They had the clothes they were wearing, and maybe a stuffed animal or a blanket; that was it. If they did have things, it was just shoved in a box that they carried.”
In the years that followed, the Jordans went on to adopt three of the foster children they hosted, doubling the size of their family.
“There have been moments when we’ve worried if we’re doing what’s best for our biological children; I think every parent feels that,” Bryn said. “It’s not always easy. But then there’s also the moments when we see them all together as one family, and we know God brought us together for a reason.”
The Jordans originally planned only to adopt children younger than their biological children.
“God had a different plan for our family when we picked up a 12-year-old boy, who was much older than our other children,” Clay said.
“We were asked to take him for a weekend,” Bryn added. “We also learned that he was being removed from his current foster home, so we knew he was dealing with a lot. We went to a pumpkin patch with our whole family that weekend and he just hit it off with the other children. Again, we really turned to prayer about the situation and ultimately welcomed him into our family through adoption.”
As active members of St. Patrick Parish and School, the Jordans’ faith is an important component of their family life that they’ve shared with their adopted children.
“Over time, our oldest son began taking more interest in Mass and what we were doing,” Bryn said. “He went to CCD and started asking questions and wanted to learn more about the Catholic faith. Now a teenager, he recently completed OCIA classes with Clay and me and joined the Catholic Church at Easter.”
Looking back on his journey from foster care brings up many emotions for Clay and Bryn.
“Everyone had given up on him,” Bryn said. “He was in a situation where he was going to be in the foster care system for the long haul and most likely moved from house to house. To see him now in our family, growing up with the rest of the kids, joining the Church; it’s just incredible the journey he’s had. God’s plans are always greater than our own. He put him in our lives for a reason, and we’re thankful for that.”
The focus on adoption and foster parenting is becoming a larger part of the pro-life movement and an opportunity for Catholics to take action whether through fostering, adoption, or offering community support for those who do.
“Our family has been forever changed by foster care,” Bryn affirmed. “Once you’re aware and you live the life of a foster family, it’s an eye-opening experience, and I think it’s always going to be a part of us. Seeing our daughter take action to help foster kids like her siblings feel loved and wanted really shows how much love we all have to give. We thank the Lord for using our hands to do great things!”
